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Shuttlepod One (episode)
For the auxiliary craft assigned to the starship [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise (NX-01)]], see Shuttlepod 1. While investigating an asteroid field, Trip and Reed are convinced that the Enterprise has been destroyed and try to face their own oncoming deaths. Summary Malcolm Reed and Trip Tucker are surveying an asteroid field, using the ''Enterprise'' shuttlepod one. Trip is trying to troubleshoot the system troubles they've been having; the sensor array and com circuits are both down. As he's doing this, Reed spots an asteroid with what appears to be an impact crater and debris on it. The wreckage appears to have been a spacecraft of some sort. As the field of view rotates, the wreckage is shown to have Enterprise markings on it. On the Enterprise, Hoshi reports to Captain Archer about the recent rescue of some Tesnians whose ship was destroyed in a recent docking attempt. Enterprise's 2nd launch bay door was also damaged in the accident, and the Captain and T'Pol go out in a shuttlepod to inspect the damage. T'Pol theorizes that the loss of control occured beause of micro-singularities, and that the Enterprise was not as affected because of its polarized hull plating. Archer dismisses this notion. On the shuttlepod, Trip and Malcolm are discussing what to do. They think that the Enterprise has crashed and is destroyed. With no way to detect the black boxes and signs of the life pods, they fear the worst. The journey to the nearest Federation signal beacon, Echo 3, would take longer than their remaining oxygen supplies, let alone the time for a replacement ship to come and rescue them. They argue, but agree to try and find a way to get to help. Malcolm starts to record a log entry describing the events leading to their current state. On their third attempt to test the long-range sensors, they shorted out. They cut the mission short and returned to where they expected the Enterprise to be, mapping out the asteroid belt. Trip and Malcolm start arguing about what to do; Trip feels that Malcolm is being far too pessimistic, and Malcolm feels they will never be discovered. With nine days of air left, Trip feels that now is the time to get to work so they can be detected and saved. Malcolm suggests they have a meal. They sit down to some rations, and a bottle of Kentucky bourbon which Archer left in the shuttle. Later that night, Trip is having trouble sleeping as Malcolm dictates another letter. He's been recording for hours and hours. The friction between the two crewmen escalates as they have another argument. Malcolm promises to give Trip all the time he needs to dictate his own letters, but Trip snaps off the recorder and tells Malcolm to go to sleep. Malcolm awakens in the medical bay in the presence of Phlox and Archer. The Captain thanks Malcolm for saving Trip and being heroic. T'Pol them walks up and gives him a similar speech – and then begins to get closer to Malcolm. She tells him that Vulcans are very attracted to bravery, and begins to get closer and closer to him. Just then, Trip wakes up Malcolm by telling him that the receiver is online. They're getting static, and their transmitter is still down. Just as Malcolm sits down at the con, the vessel is rocked by an impact of some kind. The cabin begins to lose air pressure. Without sensors, Malcolm considers finding the source of the leak a near impossibility. Thinking quickly, Trip vents some nitrogen from the storage tanks and uses the swirling of the gas to find the puncture points. There are two holes in the cabin. Each officer manages to plug one of the holes with their fingers. Malcolm gets the idea to use Trip's leftover mashed potatoes (from the rations) to fill the holes until they can get some proper puncture sealant. With the emergency temporarily handled, they check on the status. Whatever hit them managed to rupture one of their oxygen tanks, leaving them with only two days of air left. The next problem they decide to figure out is what damaged the shuttle. The hull is designed to withstand meteorites up to a size much larger than the puncture in the cabin. Trip theorizes that whatever hit the shuttle could've damaged the Enterprise. They sit down to talk about memories. Trip mentioned he used to go to the 602 Club, and he knew a nice waitress named Ruby. Malcolm states he also knew Ruby. Trip remarks that it's good that they have something in common. Trip then asks Malcolm if he'd rather have two days of life warm, or two and a half days of life cold – he has figured out how to divert power from the heaters to make the air recyclers last longer. Malcolm agrees to it. On the Enterprise again, T'Pol brings in the results of her investigation of the damage to the Enterprise and the other vessel. T'Pol thinks this could be a very important discovery. Archer thinks it's also a reason to signal the shuttle and set a different rendezvous point, since the shuttle is not equiped with the same hull plating that kept the Enterprise safe. Back on the shuttle, Malcolm continues to record his letters. Both crew members are dressed up as much as possible to keep warm with their reduced life support setup. Trip's complaint about Malcolm's letters leads to another argument; Malcolm says that Trip's hope is beginning to get to him, and Trip calls Malcolm a grim reaper. They break off, and Trip opens the bourbon. After protesting that he doesn't drink on duty, Malcolm accepts the drink. Trip lights a candle and they drink a toast to the Enterprise. Malcolm mentions that the candle will consume valuable oxygen, and Trip replies that he won't mind dying 5 or 6 minutes sooner, and how it might be just what Malcolm wants. Malcolm finally breaks and gives a monologue about how important the crew of the Enterprise was to him, and how much he's had difficulty making connections and friendships. Trip blows out the candle and says he wouldn't mind another few minutes of life. Some hours later, the two are very drunk, and bundled together. Malcolm and Trip giggle about how the universe isn't going to get any of their bourbon. Malcom confesses he finds T'Pol attractive. Just as they're laughing about it, they start to receive a transmission. Malcolm is practically beside himself with joy as he hears Hoshi's voice. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation dawns on Trip as he realizes that the rendezvous that is supposed to happen in two days' time will not be soon enough for them, as they have only a little over a day's worth of air left. Malcolm enters the new coordinates, but they will be 11 hours short on air. Trip and Malcolm start trying to figure out how to signal the ship and get them to arrive sooner. Malcolm comes up with the idea to jettison the impulse engine and detonate it, as a means of signalling the Enterprise. At first Trip resists, but then agrees that it's probably the only solution since they can't hold their breath for 11 hours. Adrift, Malcolm and Trip take bets on how much air they have left. If it's less than 11 hours, Trip gets the remainder of the bourbon; more than 12, and Malcolm gets it. Malcolm checks the indicator and sees that they have 10 hours left. After drinking, Trip says that if they had one person, there would be twice as much air left for whoever was left. Malcolm jokingly suggest that Trip go into the airlock and let himself out. Trip agrees, and goes to climb out of it. Malcolm tells him to stop, and they have an argument. Malcolm pulls a phase pistol on Trip and threatens him with being stunned if he doesn't stop trying to climb into the airlock. After a shouting match, Trip gives up and sits down. Malcolm wakes up in sickbay. Archer fills him in; the Enterprise did detect the destruction of the impulse drive. They managed to get them wth just a few hours of air left. Malcolm asks T'Pol if she's supposed to say something about heroics to make sure it's not a dream. T'Pol tells him to sleep well. Background Information *This is the first (and perhaps only) episode in which no scene takes place on the bridge of Enterprise NX-01. * The Kentucky whiskey bottle that Malcolm Reed and Trip Tucker are drinking from is labled "Dorton's Own," a reference to Louise Dorton, the show's art director. Links and References Guest Stars (none) References 602 Club; asteroid; black box; black hole; boron; Catelin; Chilean sea bass; Cochrane, Zefram; comic book; common cold; Crewman; Deborah; Echo 3; escape pod; God; Hess; hypothermia; Kentucky bourbon; lifeboat; Malaysia; mashed potatoes; meat loaf; micro-detonator; micro-singularity; Mill Valley; mol-kom; Montana; moo goo gai pan; nitrogen; Nobel Prize; oxygen; Rochelle; Royal Navy; Ruby (602 Club); San Francisco; sextant; Sherry; Shuttlepod (22nd century); slide rule; "Stinky"; Superman; Tesnia; Tesnians; Tesnian starship; Ulysses; veal marsala; Xyrillians Category: ENT episodes de:Allein nl:Shuttlepod One sv:Shuttlepod One